Hinei Ma Tov Umanaim

 Today started Beautifully.

Hub-Bee & i popped out of bed, fed our waiting Ther-a-pets

after rounding Abbys up from her outside patrol;

Sat down for coffee and the WORD.

We got behind on our reading 'cause we read less than the required 4 Chapters a day to make the schedule, so we are just in the middle of Romans. 

We Did read EVERY day.. but  got so engrossed in study we took more time to really absorb what we were reading.

 *Have YOU ever read the Bible from Genesis to Revelations...

all the way through as you would a Novel?  

Well,

 in the beginning of 2011 we embarked on the "read the Bible in a Year" program and it has been SO illuminating..

Sure, My Hub is a Pastor...we've both read Gods Word...

How many times? Who knows?

it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that Each and every time it is read The WORD speaks to us in fresh and exhilarating ways...

almost as if we have not seen or heard some of it before.

INDEED:

"For the word of GOD is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

After We ate breakfast and my Love went off to work for the day i decided to listen to a radio program where the host does allot of commentary and just basic yammering on air.

The usual host was out because of the New-Year holiday.

The alternative host completely obliterated the usual programing that starts off with a wonderful Gospel song as a way to start the day,
 and played instead the usual secular fare the station is known for.
Not BAD stuff; just not the inspirational sweetness we have become accustomed to.

Before i knew what hit me i realized i was highly

Perturbed

 and

sporting a

rather Rotten attitude.

BIG-HUGE change from the mornings lovely start.

i realized it was the company i was keeping.

Sweet as these radio folks can be at times; i've noticed they have a tendancy to find and dwell in some particularly negative mindsets.

Not that i expect the world to be all Pollyanna and all that...

Negative surrounds us in this world today... the news is not always happy, sappy slap your knee & do a jig kinda stuff

I Know This.

i Know the truth isn't always comfortable, sweetness and light,

and in order for "the Truth to set us free" we must often dig up the negative root and give it a good examination to determine what to do with it.

But i also know how damaging a negative attitude can be to us.

Chronic negativity can ruin a persons health ..

 heart and soul.

Ask me how i KNOW this

:<

Y'all thought i was the epitome of a shiney new copper penny;

 Huh?)

Yah i KNOW.

In this new year i will venture to tell a deeper version of my experiences.

 Negativity played a big role in the developement of my present health issues,

 though i want to make sure to seperate myself from it ...keep hurtfull things at bay...

Not Dwell within those walls again.

i have a new home now...

 a new environment...

We are living the fact that we are

"A New Creation"

LIVING it...

This is different than merely Acknowledging it.

i know and love many folks who have the same trouble as i was prone to for many years;

i will never poo-poo or negate thier feelings

even as i fight to remain within a place of joy & peace in my soul.

What i want to do for Them,

 for You,

for Us; 

...is This...

....As i did this morning...

Instead of just sitting there,feeling the steam coming from my ears

 i will get up

and

CHANGE THE CHANNEL.

I will remember:
 "How Good and How pleasant

 it is For Brothers

(& Sisters)

to Dwell together..

IN UNITY."
Psalm133:1

... i got up,

 raised my hands,

and Abby & i  

danced around the living room coffee table...

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from GOD's sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

Hebrews 4:13

please join me

Brothers & Sisters.

 &
For Our Sweethearts with Knee issues & other complications:

You can dance with your arms and hands in the air

but

stay off

your feet until your doctor says so.

You hear?

Because We LOVE You!

<3

Happy New Year! 

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Kim Hill and Phil Keaggy

Phil Keagy is one of my favorite musicians ... if you get a chance to see him in concert he's such a lovely person..i think He & Paul McCartney were seperated at birth...they sound so much alike...

 to me anyways.

i hope that

Sir Paul

knows Jesus.

This is my prayer for all the peoples of the world

To Know that:

*Jesus*

is the reason we celebrate

All

Year

'round!

**

1Corinthians 9:19-23

"19)Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

20) To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.

To those under the law  I became like one under the law

[though I myself am not under the law],

so as to win those under the law.

21) To those not having the law I became like one not having the law

(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law),

so as to win those not having the law.

22) To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.

I have become all things to all men

so that by all possible means I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel,

that I may share in its blessings."

**

This is why Hubbee & i  join in the celebration of Christmas,

knowing full well the controversies concerning the date of Christs birth

and the pagan ritual surrounding some of the symbolism we share at this time.

Being a Christian by word and by deed

is a tough road to travel... and as we know it's easy to fall off the path when we're not busy leaping off in persuit of all the worlds shiney new objects...or running in horror from the visions of 

 spiritual warfare.

All this to say:

**

 "I urge, then, first of all,

 that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made

for everyone-

for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior,

who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

1Timothy 2:1-4

 Merry Christmas to:

 Grace & your new Husband Jamie

Love & Blessings from

Mr. & Mrs. 'B'

<3

Feliz Navidad

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on

whom his favor rests"

Luke 2:14

Feliz Navidad

Prospero anyo y Felicidad

Mele Kalikimaka

God jul

Mutlu Noeller

Frohe Weihnachten

Joyeux Noel

Merry Christmas

&

The Happiest of New Years!

from this tiny desert

bee hive

*~*~*~

 "Buzzz!"

*~*~

We Love You!

Paul says in

1 Corinthians 9: 22,23

(22) ......

"I have

become

all things to all men

so that by all possible means

I might save some.

(23)I do all this

for the sake of the gospel,

that I may

share

in its blessings."

SNOW-BIRD FLU

 blue with flu

Every fall with the return of the "Snow-birds" our tiny haven is invaded by the flu.

Don't get me wrong

i have nothing against our returning flock of Humanity...

It's just the 'Stuff' they bring with them from all ends of this

Grand Nation and beyond;

Canada even.

It doesn't seem to matter if we all get the flu shot in anticipation of this event,

the mix of so many strains of virus gets the better of us here.

i'm not an epidemiologist so i don't know or understand all the intricacies of such things

only that, 

i've noticed,

 since we've been here

 we and others around us seem to be no match for the

Buggs.

Perhaps we should call this

Snow-BUG season.

Happy Holidays indeed.

&

now i sound like the Grinch.

cause i kinda feel like

one.

i think i may have Grinched about this last year Too!

but feel too crummy to go looking.

jail-bird kitty

forgive me please.

At least this year i didn't get sick right away...

 No

saved it for

Christmas i did.

All i want for Christmas is

my Hubby's sweet Smile.

Poor Dear

He's got it worse i think.

the bug

and

a

Grumpy wife.

Consider it

pure joy,

my brothers

 whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith

develops

perseverance.

Perseverance must finish it's work

so that

you may be mature and complete,

not lacking

anything.

James 1:2,3,4

Apparently

This is one of our many Bird-houses...

Yet to be inhabited

by any of our desert dwelling Avian friends.

Apparently the shimmying wings are a deterrent.

In a brave moment

(or should i say: ridiculous spurt of energy?)

i decided to warm the house by baking some Quick-bread.

Apparently i misread the Temp.

and set the oven way too low.

In a former life i KNEW this was questionable...

In this present escapade(?)

i knew

too little

 too late.

They call THIS

"Brain-fog"

*

i call it

...

.

Baked Bricks

>:[

& NO!

i'm too horrified to take a picture

So you can't see them.

On the bright side

i have often thought it would be fun to make an Adobe brick wall....

.. maybe..

an edible

Bird Brick wall..

{maybe this will attract the birds?}

***

What's that they say about being a 'Brick shy of a load' ??

uh-huh

that's me today furr sure!

***

(but the house Iz warm:))

He humbled you, causing you to hunger

 and then feeding you with manna,

which neither you nor your fathers had known,

to teach you that

man does not live on bread alone

but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Dueteronomy 8:3



Good Morning Star-shine!

A rise

We drove further out in

 the desert to watch the sun rise....

Where

no roof tops could be seen.

No dogs barking

No engines rumbling,

only

wind shimmering...

birds tweeting

in the

true sense.

Quail make entertaining listening as:

 (we've heard it said )

"They discuss arrangements for the day."

i love Quail.

 

My Hero

I LOVE THIS MAN!

We hiked up a well traveled trail that led to some awesome views
Near and far.

 A bush ray!

i enjoyed feeling like a mountain goat for the first time in years.

Too many.

(Perhaps a Big-horn sheep;)

And we have the

 word

 of the prophets made more certain,

and you will do well

 to pay attention

to it,

as to a light

shining in a dark place,

until the day dawns and

the Morning star

rises in your

hearts.

2nd Peter 1: 19

A few of my favorite things

The wonderful local library had an outdoor book sale today to bring in funds and Share the joy of books. i was Sooo excited to be able to go and peruse the pages and pick up some interesting reads. i am a 'Bookworm' at heart. Some people brought little carts with them in order to fill their own personal libraries. There were old hardcover classics, new paperbacks, encyclopedia editions and huge arthouse volumes. i had to tear myself away with This nice stack bursting out of the baggy i was given to make it easier to hoard more than i intended. There was really only one book i was hoping to find. Find it i did. YAY!

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

by Sarah Ban Breathnach

The others somehow caught my interest and at .25 cents a piece ... how could i resist?

As i recover here in this blue sky desert oasis, i am craving not just knowledge again but Wisdom. 

Hubby and i seek Wisdom in The Word every morning.. Starting the day out right. We started in Genesis at the beginning of the year and are now in the Book of Mark.

i suppose the Internet may qualify for knowledge of a sort... i am a fiend at searching out resources and odd bits of this and that.

Yet i have been in need of 'Restocking' the old Memory banks with good old fashioned Book reading.

i am So very fond of old hardbound works. They are artistry in hand...from the ink embossed paper to the careful stitches holding them together. For some reason it just gives the Authors words a bit more heft in my mind.

But... i picked up a paperback of essays by George Orwell

My country Right or Left

1940-43 

and a Pictorial edition of

Yosemite National Park: Natures Masterpiece in Stone.

Pat O'Hara: Photographer, text by David Robertson.

It was fun to find a Hardcover of a book my brother Johnny gave me...

 ... Oh ... some 40 years ago.

Kinship with all life by J. Allen Boone

He's going to think i'm Nutz because i haven't sent him anything but  e-mails in years.

Merry Christmas Johnny!

...just in case you don't have your own.

Thank You, for One of my favorite things...

 i still have after all these years.

Also packed home

a 1947 book of Essays: The Portable James Joyce

and lastly but certainly not the least; in size anyway

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

1941 2nd edition.

i Beelieve i have enough reading material for ...

..... 

...the rest of this year.

Perhaps.

;>

Oh, the depth of the riches

of the wisdom and

knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his

 judgements,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Psalms 11:33